Device for holding dishes in cupboards



Oct. 27, 1942. CUFF 2,300,207

DEVICE FOR HOLDING DISHES IN CUI BOARDS Filed Oct. 25. 1940 Patented Get. 27, 194-2 UNETD eras DEVICE For. HOLDING msnns CUPBOARDS- IN l James E. Cuff, Hinsdalle, Ill.

Application October 25, 1940, Serial No. 362,773

5 Claims.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a cleat or chock to receive the lower edge of a plate or platter tilted against the wall of a china cabinet, cupboard or the like, that will prevent the lower edge of the plate or platter from moving outwardly or inwardly and will restrain the plate or platter from rolling laterally. Generally speaking, this is accomplished by forming an angular cleat, one part of which serves as an upstanding flange and the other part as a base, adapted to be made fast to a shelf or the like, and having wings extending outwardly or laterally along the flange to engage the edge and rim of the plate or platter.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will appear as the description is read in connection with the accompanying drawing, in

which Fig. l is a side view of a plate or platter tilted against the wall of a cabinet or cupboard and received at its lower edge by the cleat or chock forming the preferred embodiment of this invention;

Fig. 2 is a front view of Fig. 1 the upper portion being broken away;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the cleat or chock;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the cleat or chock; and

Fig. 5 is a plan view of a blank from which the cleat or chock is formed.

But this specific drawing and the corresponding description are used for the purpose of illustrative disclosure and are not intended to impose unnecessary limitations on the claims,

In Fig. 1 a plate I is shown tilted against the back I l of a china cabinet or cupboard with the lower edge l2 received in and held in place by a cleat, generally indicated by 13, fastened on the shelf M.

The cleat or chock includes a base l (Fig. 3) integral with an upstanding flange [6 having its intermediate portion concave as indicated at W and rounded off with reverse curves 18. The base is provided with suitable holes I9 to receive headed driven or screw threaded fastenings 20, preferably hardened, self-driving screws which can be put into wood or light metal with a hammer and removed with a screw driver.

As shown, the intermediate portion of the base is turned forwardly to extend in front of the flange It, as shown at 2|. Some will prefer to omit this feature and have the base continuous along the back side of the flange l6.

At each side the base is extended outwardly or laterally by wings 22 which are severed from the flange It and are bendable to enable the user to turn them up in conformity with the edge of the plate or platter it is to be used with. Edg or corner portions 23 of the wings are bent upwardly to engage the back edge of the plate, as best seen in Fig. 1. As a rule, the lowest portion of the plate will catch between the upstanding flange it and the heads 24 of the screws 20 and portions at each side thereof will engage the extended wings and fit between the upturned portions 23 and the higher portions of the upstanding flange it. The plate may be entirely supported by the upturned wings if desired.

From this description and the drawing, it will be clear that the bottom of the plate is prevented from going outwardly by the upstanding flange I5 and from going inwardly by the screwheads 2d and the turned up edges or corners 23 of the wings, and that the bodyof the wings engaging the rim of the plate at each side of the center of support restrains it from rolling in either direction. Thus the plate is maintained in the desired position without danger of accident.

Those skilled in the art will make the cleat or chock in various ways and of various materials from assorted ferrous and non-ferrous metals to plastics such as the formaldehyde condensate products and mixtures of such products with natural and artificial gums; indeed, some will form them up of materials like vegetable parchment and such like paper products. As here illustrated, however, the embodiment is designed to be' made from .037-20 ga. sheet steel which is first made into blanks like that shown in Fig. 5 then by the suitable forming operation the intermediate portion 21 is turned oppositely from its original direction while the flange portion [6 is turned up at right angles from the base'portion I5 and the edges or corners 23 are turned up as indicated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3.

A chock or cleat here shown is 2%" long. The space for receiving the rim of the plate is A" from the inner face of the flange I6 to the ad-.

jacent face of the upturned edges 23, the actual seat being about A" in width in the extremities of the chock.

The form of wings shown is especially suited for the purpose of restraining the dish from rolling and also preventing its lower edge from .being inadvertently forced backwardly. However, other forms will be readily designed to suit personal taste and preference. Some will make the cleat to hold a plurality of dishes, others will associate it with an easel and so on,

flange being turned upwardly.

3. A cleat comprising a base and an upstanding flange forming an angle section and upturned 15 wings extending in continuation of the base outwardly along the flange.

4. A cleat comprising a base extending forwardly and backwardly from an upstanding flange and having upwardly bendable wings extending laterally along the back of the upstanding flange.

5. A cleat comprising an angle section including a base and an upstanding flange severed from the base in the opposite end portions of the cleat whereby the severed portions of the base form wings which may be bent up from the plane of the base to conform to and restrain the curved edge of a plate or the like.

JAMES E. CUFF. 

